


go down my body and fully bloom

by nightsofsilver



Series: This Side of Town [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Eventual Smut, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Hook-Up, M/M, Miscommunication, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Summer Romance, gyuhui, minghao art major, seokhoon, small town korea, wonwoo auto mechanic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:00:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25606240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightsofsilver/pseuds/nightsofsilver
Summary: Myungho wants too much and Wonwoo doesn’t want enough. They make it work, eventually.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Series: This Side of Town [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188431
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	go down my body and fully bloom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OriginalBreakage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriginalBreakage/gifts).



> For M. You're an amazing friend and hopefully this pays back even a little of the love and support you've shown me. Wonhao love you<3
> 
> title from Flower by Seventeen
> 
> Chapter 1 [Spotify Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1I4zh48BIkS3V6B2jfg24a?si=7BM-FSJKSOST1IIES0Gquw)
> 
> I'm not sure how to tag this, but at one point two characters are consensually engaging in some sensual bordering on sexual activities when one character asks the other to stop. The other character does and then the characters go on to have an argument (not about having to stop but about why + hurt feelings). If this might be triggering for you it might be in your best interest to click off this fic right now since that happens and it will be discussed several times in later chapters.

Wonwoo sits up, stretching his arms out above his head and holding back a groan of relief at _finally_ being done with his last exam of the semester. He collects his things as quietly as he can and delivers his test to the proctor at the front of the room. He lets out a soft cheer as the door closes behind him, he’s free for the rest of the summer and the thought fills him with excitement. 

He spies Vernon sitting on a bench as he exits the testing center, the younger boy waving at him with a smile once he sees Wonwoo. As soon as he reaches Vernon he hears someone shout his name and looks to his left to see Mingyu running across the grass towards them. 

“How’d you do?” Wonwoo asks Vernon as he turns back towards him. 

Vernon winces, “Not that bad to be honest, but a couple of questions I just had to guess on.” 

“I’m sure you did fine.” 

Vernon gives him a grateful smile as Mingyu reaches the bench, dramatically collapsing onto it and throwing one hand up in the air. 

“We did it!” 

Vernon reaches over and pats him on the shoulder affectionately. 

“Yes we did, now get your ass up hyung, I’m hungry.” 

Mingyu sighs but jumps back to his feet, obviously excited at the thought of food. Wonwoo turns around and leads the way towards the parking lot, his own stomach grumbling after being stuck in the testing center for hours on end. 

“So where do you guys wanna go?” asks Wonwoo as they all climb into his car. 

“We could raid the convenience store,” suggests Mingyu. 

Vernon pipes up from behind them, “No, we should go somewhere nice! We deserve a real meal after all those hours studying fueled by kimbap and too many cans of coke. How about that new Chinese restaurant, we haven’t been there before.” 

Wonwoo frowns as he pulls out of the parking lot, “I don’t know… I heard it’s kind of expensive.” 

He sees Mingyu start to pout at him from out of the corner of his eye and he tightens his grip on the steering wheel, fighting the urge to look over at the younger boy. 

“We should go, it sounds yummy,” says Mingyu. 

“You’re hungry, everything probably sounds good right now,” Wonwoo shoots back. 

“Okay true, but c’mon I’m sure it’s not that bad. We’ll even pay for our own food this time, right Vernon-ah?” 

Wonwoo’s gaze flickers upwards for a moment and he sees Vernon nodding vigorously in the backseat. He sighs and accepts defeat as Mingyu’s eyes grow wider and sadder by the minute. 

“Fine, but please try not to order half the menu.” 

Mingyu instantly straightens up, pout replaced by a wide grin as he reaches back to give Vernon a high five. The restaurant is tucked away in a quieter part of town and a waitress immediately comes up to the front as they enter and leads them to an empty table. She whisks off after promising to bring out their drinks. 

Vernon groans as he leans back in his seat, “I’m so hungryyyyyy. Uhg, it smells good in here.” 

Mingyu pats his shoulder sympathetically, “Just hold on a little longer bro.” 

Wonwoo flips through the lunch options, the prices thankfully not as high as he had feared. He picks out the first thing that sounds good without a second thought, setting down his menu and letting his gaze drift out of pure boredom. It’s still a bit early for the dinner rush so there aren’t many customers yet, just an old couple in the far corner and a lone boy sitting a few booths away. 

Unfortunately there aren’t very many interesting things to look at in the restaurant, besides the occasional decor piece, so his gaze inevitably falls onto the boy sitting a few tables away from them. He’s tapping away at his phone with a fierce concentration and unlikely to look up and catch Wonwoo staring, so Wonwoo allows himself to study the boy for a moment longer. He looks familiar but unfamiliar at the same time and although Wonwoo lives in a small town it’s still big enough that Wonwoo doesn’t quite know every single person living there. 

The boy shifts his grip on his phone in his hands and Wonwoo spots a familiar university logo hidden amongst a collage of stickers on his phone case. Maybe he’s walked past him on campus once or twice then. The boy lifts one hand --they are quite large yet also thin and delicate-- and pushes back his long black hair, revealing a row of studded piercings in his ear that Wonwoo wishes he knew how to pull off.

His thought process is interrupted as a pair of legs and a dark apron step into his view and he looks up to see a waiter smiling down at him. 

“Hello, my name is Jun and I will be your server today. Are you all ready to order or should I give you a few more minutes to look over the menu?” 

“I’m ready,” Wonwoo says, turning towards Mingyu and Vernon. 

“How about you guys?” 

Vernon nods but Mingyu seems to be frozen, staring up at Jun with wide eyes. 

“Hey Mingyu-yah.” 

Mingyu slowly turns his head to look at Wonwoo. 

“Hmm?” 

“You ready to order yet?” 

He seems to wake up a bit at that, looking down at his menu for a moment before nodding. Jun takes down their orders with a bright smile, one that seems to grow larger whenever he looks over in Mingyu’s direction. 

“Is it getting hot in here Mingyu-hyung?” Vernon says with a mischievous smirk once Jun is out of earshot. 

“You’re looking a little flushed.”

Mingyu gently shoves him, “Fuck off.” 

Wonwoo tunes out their bickering and quickly glances back over at the boy sitting a few tables away. He’s looking off into the distance now, fingers tapping a silent rhythm against the tabletop. Their waiter Jun appears at his side, setting down a few plates of food in front of the boy. He isn’t close enough to hear their conversation but he sees Jun ruffle the boy’s hair with a fond smile, laughing when the boy bats his hand away. 

“Hyung? Wonwoo-hyung?” 

The boy in question blinks, returning his attention to the two boys sitting in front of him. 

“Yeah?” 

Vernon gives him a weird look but repeats his question. 

“I was asking if you heard about the drive-in movie night they are having on campus?” 

“Oh yeah, did you guys wanna go?” 

“Yes!” Mingyu chimes in. 

“It’s only like eight dollars per person and I think there’s food, but we can bring our own snacks.” 

“Hm, sounds fun, I’m down.” 

“Sweet.” 

It isn’t long before Jun arrives with their food, several plates in danger of falling off the edge of the crowded table. 

“Enjoy,” Jun says with a quick wink in Mingyu’s direction before darting off. Wonwoo raises an eyebrow but Mingyu just shakes his head, filling up his plate with food from the various dishes on the table with a small smile on his face. Wonwoo has to admit that the food is worth every dollar and half an hour later all three of them sit back with a sigh, not a crumb left uneaten. Wonwoo looks over to see Jun sitting across from the boy he had been looking at earlier. The boy’s gaze lifts to meet Wonwoo’s and he motions to Jun, the waiter jumping up from his seat and hurrying over. 

“Leaving so soon?” 

“Unfortunately,” Wonwoo replies with a polite smile. Jun opens up the small booklet with their bill and quickly writes something down. As expected, he hands the bill to Mingyu with a bright grin. While Wonwoo and Vernon pull out their wallets, Jun brings up his wrist to check the time. 

“Three o’clock,” he says. Wonwoo is about to ask him what is so important about three o’clock but Jun immediately darts off towards the kitchens, returning a moment later without his black apron. 

“Bye Uncle,” Jun shouts, crossing the room with long strides. He grabs the boy from Wonwoo’s university by the hand and practically yanks him to his feet. He turns around, shouting “Call me cutie!” over his shoulder and disappearing in the blink of an eye, the other boy dragged along behind him. 

Mingyu suddenly holds up a slip of white paper. 

“He left his number…“

“Are you going to call him?” Vernon asks. Mingyu shrugs and pockets the piece of paper, red ears betraying his false nonchalance. A new waiter picks up their bill and they walk out of the restaurant, stomachs a little fuller and wallets a little lighter.

~~~~~

Wonwoo wipes his forehead, no doubt smearing oil and grease across his skin, but after a long day of work he can hardly find it in himself to care. He stands up from where he had been bent over the hood of a dark blue sedan and stretches out his back, closing the hood with a satisfied sigh.

“All done,” he says and his boss looks up from another car, giving him a thumbs up. He takes a sip of water and leans back against the open garage door of the small auto shop he works at, doors and windows all propped open in effort to give the workers a reprieve from the summer afternoon heat. Before he can rest for too long a truck comes rumbling down the road and disappears around the corner. A young man comes around the corner after a few minutes, pushing along a sleek black motorcycle. 

“They said to bring it back here?” 

Wonwoo nods, reaching out a hand and shaking the boy’s firmly. 

“I’m Wonwoo, what seems to be the problem with your bike?” 

“Well I was riding it yesterday and it just quit on me all of a sudden and I don’t really know why. I can handle the basic stuff but the guy I usually go to for something more complicated is out of town right now.” 

“Alright, let’s take a look and see what we can do for you…?” 

“Jihoon, my name is Lee Jihoon.” 

Wonwoo nods and helps the Jihoon push the motorcycle into the garage. He whistles as he runs a hand down the side of the motorcycle and squats down next to it. 

“It’s beautiful.” 

Jihoon straightens up with a smile, “Thank you, I try to take good care of it.” 

Wonwoo calls Vernon over and Jihoon steps back to allow the two of them to inspect the motorcycle. Vernon slides his hand under the bike, bumping Wonwoo in the shoulder after a moment and pointing to a small hole in the lower side of the motorcycle. Unfortunately the hole in the side of one of the more delicate parts of the bike and Wonwoo sighs as he rises to his feet. He waves Jihoon and the boy squats down next to him. 

“Looks like something must have hit the bike here,” --he points to the damaged area-- “while you were riding it and caused the engine to fail.” 

Jihoon squints at the tiny hole and swears under his breath. 

“If it was just a bit higher up it would be an easy fix, but where it is now we need to order a new piece to replace the damaged side. It will take a day or two to ship in, so you’re definitely not riding it anytime soon.” 

Jihoon frowns, “Well damn. Guess I’m not going anywhere tonight.” 

“You got a ride home at least?” 

“Yeah, with my friend who brought me here.” 

“Alright, have a nice day then Jihoon-ssi.” 

“Thanks.” 

There’s a loud buzz and Jihoon pulls a vibrating phone out of his pocket, turning away and walking towards the edge of the garage. 

“Hey babe…” 

Jihoon is pretty far off by now but Wonwoo can still a few snippets of his conversation. 

“Bike out... can’t come...promised… movie. Seungcheol-hyung can’t... the bus…” 

Jihoon turns around, passing by Wonwoo and Vernin heads out of the garage. 

“I’ll get there when I can, bye Min.” 

Jihoon has a frustrated look on his face and Wonwoo feels a bit bad for him, it sounds like he was also planning on going to the drive-in movie tonight, at least until his bike broke down. Wonwoo frowns, looking up at Vernon who is still studying Jihoon’s motorcycle. He wipes his dirty hands off as best he could on his work overalls and jogs over to Jihoon, stopping him with a hand on his shoulder before he could disappear behind the corner of the garage door. 

“What is it Wonwoo-hyung?” 

“Were you planning on going to the drive-in movie on campus tonight?” 

“Yeah, it might be a little more difficult without my bike, but I’ll get there eventually.” 

“This might be kind of weird but… do you want to catch a ride with me? I’m going as well and my shift ends not too long before the movies start.” 

Jihoon looks up at him, eyes wide in surprise. 

“You’d really do that?” 

“I mean, why not, I’ve got room and you’ll save yourself the bus fare and get there in time to see your… friend?” 

“Boyfriend.” 

“Your boyfriend. Also, I swear I’m not a serial killer, Vernonie can vouch for me.” 

The younger boy looks up when he hears his name and gives them a thumbs up. 

“Well… I guess I don’t have much of a reason to say no.” 

“Great! Just hang out back here or up front for a bit and we’ll leave around five.” 

Jihoon nods, “Alright, thank you Wonwoo-ssi.”

~~~~~

A couple of hours later Jihoon is sitting in the passenger’s seat next to Wonwoo, Vernon and Mingyu unusually quiet in the back. Of course none of them really knew Jihoon so the conversation had died down after a brief introduction and Wonwoo’s explanation of the stranger in his car after pulling up to Mingyu’s. Wonwoo looks up and spies Mingyu furiously tapping away at his phone through the rearview mirror.

“What do you look so focused for Mingyu-yah?” 

Mingyu mumbles an unintelligible reply back and Vernon attempts to peer over Mingyu’s shoulder. 

“Ooo are you texting that waiter that gave you his number?” 

Mingyu presses his phone close to his chest and glares at Vernon. 

“That’s none of _your_ business.” 

“Now now children,” says Wonwoo, glancing over at Jihoon. 

“I’d promise you that they usually aren’t like this but that would be a complete lie.” 

Jihoon laughs, “It’s fine, my friends are the exact same way.” 

Peace re-establishes itself by the time they reach campus, handing in their tickets at the makeshift collection station set up by the parking lot entrance. Wonwoo slows down as they reach the rows of cars laid out in front of a large stone wall that makes up the side of the student union building. They manage to slip into one of the last parking spaces and Jihoon unbuckles his seat belt as soon as Wonwoo shifts into park. 

“Thank you again Wonwoo-ssi.” 

“It was no big deal, just glad I could help out.” 

“Still, you didn’t have to. Anyway, it was nice to meet you Mingyu-ssi and Vernon-ssi, have a good evening.” 

“Bye Jihoon-ssi!” Mingyu and Vernon shout in unison and the boy opens the car door, disappearing into the throng of cars and wandering students. Wonwoo reaches behind his seat to dig around for a bag of chips among all the snacks they had brought and reclines his seat as much as he dares with the backseat occupied. 

“The first movie starts in about fifteen minutes,” Vernon mutters from the backseat. When Wonwoo looks back at him to ask which exact movie was up first he finds him leaning against Mingyu’s shoulder, one hand clutching onto a package of kimbap as he blinks sleepily. 

“Tired already Vernon-ah? It’s barely seven.” 

He’s only teasing but Vernon immediately sits up and opens his eyes wide. 

“I’m not tired!” 

The yawn he lets out contradicts his statement and Wonwoo resists the urge to laugh. 

“I just stayed up a little late with Chan-ah last night, but I swear I’m wide awake!” 

“Okay okay, I believe you. What were you two doing anyway?” 

Vernon shrugs, “We were watching some TV, then Chan wanted to show me some new music he had been listening to, and then we got hungry and made some food. I guess we just didn’t realize how late it was getting, and of course I didn’t get to sleep in that much because I had to go to work this morning.” 

“Well, I mean at least you enjoyed yourself. Is it fun having him around?” 

“Yeah, it’s easy to play around and stuff with your cousins when you’re kids, but I’m glad we’ve still remained good friends over the years even if we only get to see each other in the summer.” 

“Must be nice to have a friend you’ve known for so long. Just like you and me huh Mingyu-yah?” 

“Mmm,” Mingyu replies distractedly.

Wonwoo looks toward Mingyu but the younger boy is preoccupied with the phone cradled gently in his hands. He looks up after a moment, gnawing on his lower lip. 

“Hey hyung?” 

“Yeah?” 

“It sounds like Jun-hyung is here too.” 

“Okay?” 

“I mean, I was wondering if…” 

Wonwoo sighs and waves a hand towards the passenger side door. 

“I’m not your mom, you don’t need my permission to go see your loverboy.” 

Mingyu excitedly yanks open the car door, halfway out of his seat when Wonwoo starts to speak again. 

“But if you’re not back twenty minutes after the last movie ends I’m leaving without you!” 

“Okay!” Mingyu shouts over his shoulder, quickly disappearing into the crowd of cars and milling students. Vernon sighs, stretching out in the backseat and pulling open his package of kimbap. 

“You wanna join me up in the front?” asks Wonwoo. 

“Naw, I’ve got plenty of room and a good enough view back here.” 

Wonwoo hums in acknowledgement, slowly leaning his seat back as the long wall of the Arts and Sciences Building lights up with the 20th Century Fox intro. Not even ten minutes into the start of the first movie a dark figure approaches Wonwoo’s car and knocks on the front passenger window, startling both boys who had been intently watching as the Avengers had hunted Thanos across the galaxy. Wonwoo rolls down his window and the flashing lights coming from the movie light up the stranger’s face. It’s Jun’s friend from the restaurant, the boy Wonwoo hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of. Wonwoo tries to keep his expression neutral and he leans forward over the seat divider. 

“Uh, can I help you?” 

“I've been sexiled. I was told by your friend… Mingyu-ssi right?” 

Wonwoo nods and the boy continues on, “That I could find a free seat over here if I didn’t want to stay with them.” 

Wonwoo hesitates for only a moment before unlocking the car doors and motioning for the boy to climb inside. Normally he wouldn’t care to deal with the fallout of whatever mess Mingyu has created, but the boy was cute, sue him. Vernon leans forward as the boy climbs into the front passenger seat. 

“I’m Vernon, what’s your name?” 

“Minghao or Myungho, whichever you prefer.” 

Wonwoo must have not been paying enough attention the first time the boy spoke, but there is no missing the soft accent to his voice, and of course his name just confirms it. 

“I’m Wonwoo.” 

The corner of Minghao’s mouth twitches upwards in a small smile. 

“Nice to meet you Wonwoo-ssi.” 

Wonwoo nods his head in return and rather unsubtly drags his gaze over the boy’s long frame, all bones and sharp angles folded neatly into the seat next to Wonwoo. His gaze lifts to meet Minghao’s after a long moment and he can’t quite tell what emotions are hiding in those dark eyes. He quickly snaps his gaze away from Minghao’s when Vernon speaks again.

“Are they really gonna... you know?” 

Minghao laughs, no, straight up _giggles_ , and Wonwoo is momentarily stunned at the sound. 

“Maybe, I certainly wasn't going to stick around and find out.” 

Vernon makes a disgusted face and pulls the bag of food out from behind Wonwoo’s seat. 

“We brought our own snacks. Hungry?” 

Minghao shrugs but grabs a small bag of popcorn, “Thanks.” 

Minghao settles back into his seat and Wonwoo follows suit, returning his attention to the movie playing in front of them. The rest of the movie passes by quickly, everyone too caught up in the fast-paced action scenes to talk. The second movie is a comedy and it’s a thousand times more entertaining than the first, if only because of the fact Minghao descends into the occasional fit of giggles at the scenes he finds particularly funny. 

Wonwoo sits up a little straighter and lets out a huge yawn as the credits start to roll. He notices a few cars start to pull away and checks the time, wondering if they should do the same. He turns towards Minghao and Vernon, the two of them caught up in an animated conversation about the last movie. 

“Anyway, they are playing _It_ next,” Vernon says excitedly. Wonwoo grins, no way in hell are they leaving now.

“I’ve never heard of _It_ before,” Minghao says. The shock is evident on Vernon’s face and he quickly does his best to inform Minghao of the plot of the movie without revealing too many spoilers. With every word out of Vernon’s mouth Minghao’s expression seems to grow more and more apprehensive. Vernon doesn’t seem to notice, sitting back in his seat as the third movie starts, but Wonwoo lets his gaze drift towards Minghao every few minutes and notices how tense the boy has become. 

Minghao merely grimaces at the first few jumpscares, uncrossing his arms from where they had been firmly pressed into his chest and and his hands come to rest on his knees, supposedly in an effort to appear relaxed. The act is completely ruined by the fact his hands tighten around his knees until his knuckles turn white at some of the more terrifying scenes in the film. 

It bothers him for some reason, sure Wonwoo would call himself a pretty sympathetic guy, but  
he’s surely sat next to plenty of absolutely terrified spectators while watching horror movies before, so what’s so special about Minghao? The boy wears a stiff smile that slips into a grimace every so often, despite his efforts to appear calm and collected. It makes Wonwoo all the more frustrated that he can’t get rid of the strange feeling or Minghao’s obvious discomfort.

Wonwoo sighs, rolling his window the rest of the way down and resting his head on his arm against the car door. A cool breeze blows through the air and Wonwoo closes his eyes as it blows his hair back from his face. It feels nice, the nights already growing far too warm for Wonwoo’s taste. More importantly though, it gives him an idea. Wonwoo opens his eyes and sits up, rolling up all the windows in the car at the same time. Minghao looks over at him and his face scrunches up in confusion. 

“What are you doing?” 

Wonwoo shrugs, “I was getting cold, besides, I’ve seen this movie a million times already and I’m pretty sure Vernon fell asleep twenty minutes ago.” 

Minghao glances back and smiles softly as the softs sounds of Vernon breathing fill the now quiet car. 

“You’re welcome to roll down your window or sit on the hood and keep watching if you want.” 

Minghao shakes his head, leaning the seat back a little and turning on his side to face Wonwoo. Wonwoo busies himself on his phone for a moment, squinting as the bright screen lights up in the dark car. By the time he looks back up Minghao appears a lot more relaxed, his smile and nod of thanks genuine when Wonwoo offers him more popcorn. 

Left with nothing better to do now, Wonwoo studies Minghao as subtly as he can. The darkness both helps and hinders this endeavor, keeping his glances hidden, but leaving Minghao’s form shadowed as well. In the dim glow and bright flashes from the movie playing up ahead Wonwoo is able to make out the loops and chains adorning Minghao’s left ear, the long line of his exposed collarbone, and the way his hair curls around the sides of his neck, far longer in the back than Wonwoo had ever let his own grow. 

Movement draws his gaze to Minghao’s hands as they delicately pluck a single piece of popcorn from the bag in his hands and bring it to his lips. He zones out for a few moments and when he finally returns to reality it’s only because Minghao is waving his hand in front of Wonwoo’s face. 

“You good?” Minghao asks. Wonwoo flushes, eternally grateful that his face is mostly hidden in the dark. 

“Fine, completely fine.” 

Minghao is leaning across the seat divider and Wonwoo suddenly realises it’s the closest he’s ever been to the other boy. Minghao doesn’t immediately pull away after gaining Wonwoo’s attention, his head tilted to the side just a bit as he intently studies Wonwoo’s face. Minghao opens his mouth, but whatever he is about to say gets cut-off when there is an abrupt knock at the passenger side window. Both he and Minghao jump in their seats and Vernon stirs awake as Wonwoo rolls down the window to find Mingyu standing on the other side. 

“Hope you weren’t planning on leaving without me,” Mingyu says. Wonwoo looks around and finds the parking lot already half empty, the movie obviously having ended while he had been preoccupied. 

“Of course not,” replies Wonwoo. Minghao turns to nod at him and the still not quite awake Vernon. 

“Thanks for letting me hang out with you two and for the food.” 

Vernon mumbles something unintelligible before leaning back against the headrest and closing his eyes again. 

“No problem… see you around I guess Minghao-ssi,” he mutters. Minghao flashes him a mysterious smile. 

“Goodbye Wonwoo-ssi.” 

He opens the door and heads across the parking lot, Mingyu slipping into the passenger seat. Wonwoo gives him a once over, noting the ruffled hair, swollen lips, and bruises peeking out from under the collar of his shirt. 

“Hope you had fun.” 

Mingyu grins sheepishly, tugging his shirt up and turning away from Wonwoo’s stare to look out the window. They pull out of the parking lot onto the main road, Wonwoo dropping Mingyu off before finally returning home and stumbling into bed. His last thoughts before he drifts off are of white knuckles and a soft smile.

~~~~~

“Let me get this straight, you want _me_ to go to dinner with you and Jun-ssi?”

“Yeah.” 

Wonwoo pokes his head out of his bedroom and stares blankly at Mingyu, who is sitting on the tiny couch in the middle of Wonwoo’s basement. 

“Do you and your boyfriend really need an audience while you hold hands and feed each other little bites of food?” 

Mingyu flushes and glares back at him. 

“It’s not like that.” 

His gaze drops to the floor and his voice is quiet when he speaks again. 

“He’s not my boyfriend, we’ve never gone out or anything, we’ve just messed around a little.” 

Wonwoo disappears back inside his bedroom, picking out a mostly clean t-shirt and jacket to wear. He reappears a moment later, tucking his shirt into the waistband of his jeans as he approaches Mingyu. 

“Well what do you want him to be?” 

Mingyu looks up at Wonwoo in confusion as the older boy sits down next to him. 

“Huh?” 

“Do you want Jun-ssi to be your boyfriend?” 

Mingyu hesitates, “Well, we haven’t known each other for long, but, I guess… yeah. I do.” 

“Well then you’ve got to talk to him about it! At least ask him if he’s just looking for something casual or not.” 

Mingyu nods, his expression growing more determined. 

“I will, thank you Wonwoo-hyung. Can you still come though?” 

Wonwoo sighs. 

“Jun-hyung said Minghao-ssi was coming as well.” 

Wonwoo tries his best to keep his expression neutral as he digests this new piece of information. 

“I guess I won’t have to suffer alone,” he finally says. Mingyu leaps to his feet with a grin. 

“C’mon then, let’s get going!” 

Wonwoo stands up much more slowly, following Mingyu up the stairs and out the front door.

By the time they get to the restaurant Jun and Minghao have already gotten a table, Jun frantically waving his hand over in the corner of the restaurant in an effort to get their attention when they walk in. They make an odd pair, Jun dressed in a simple v-neck sweater and jeans while Minghao wears a dark blazer over a t-shirt, silver jewelry hanging off his ears and neck and wrists and hands. That seems to be the only thing that connects them, for Jun too has several piercings in both ears, and a large silver ring sits on his right index finger. 

Wonwoo slides into the booth first, ending up across from Minghao, Mingyu immediately striking up a conversation with Jun as he sits down. Minghao hardly spares him more than a glance, focused on perusing the menu laid out in front of him. Wonwoo is craving some jjajangmyeon so he doesn’t even bother picking up his own menu, pretending to pay attention to Mingyu while sneaking the occasional glance over at Minghao. Once the other boy has set down his menu Wonwoo clears his throat softly. Minghao looks up at him and Wonwoo jerks his head towards Jun and Mingyu. 

“We’ve really got to stop meeting like this.” 

That gets a smile out of Minghao and he leans forward over the table, his bracelets and rings clacking against the hard surface. 

“You’re right, maybe next time we plan something fun to do and drag them along to keep each other company.” 

Wonwoo laughs, “You make it sound like a punishment when you know they’d just sneak off to makeout or something.” 

Minghao sighs. 

“Unfortunately you are correct.” 

“Correct about what?” Mingyu asks. 

“Nothing!” Wonwoo replies, smiling innocently as Minghao chuckles behind his hand. Mingyu glances between them in confusion before shrugging and turning back towards Jun. Conversation between both pairs of boys flows easily after that and Wonwoo ends up learning a lot more about Minghao (not that he really knew anything in the first place). 

He learns things like the fact he was a year younger than Wonwoo, is an art education major, liked painting and fashion, has only been in Korea for a few years, likes frogs and dogs and most other animals, has been really into the color black lately after going through a phase of only bright colors earlier in the year, and he loves to drink wine. All four of them chat back and forth over their dinner and Wonwoo also discovers that Jun was way too funny and a lot more out there than Wonwoo had ever imagined. At the moment Jun is in the middle of telling a riveting story about sweet potatoes. 

“Back in my hometown they were absolutely _massive_ \-- oh hey Jihoon-ah!” 

Wonwoo turns to see a familiar black-ahired figure standing at the entrance of the restaurant. Jihoon looks up at Jun’s call, waving off the hostess and walking over to their table. 

“Hey guys,” he says, giving Minghao and Jun a small smile. Wonwoo gets an odd look from Minghao when he and Mingyu receive a quick nod of acknowledgement from Jihoon, but Wonwoo just shrugs. 

“Are you here to eat too?” Jun asks. 

“No, Soonyoung’s shift is about to end and we’re going to go catch a movie.” 

Minghao leans over the table to look at Jihoon. 

“Where’s Seokmin-ah then?” 

“Studying for his summer classes.” 

He grins mischievously before continuing.

“Apparently I was getting a little too distracting so he told me to go bother Soonyoung instead of him.” 

Jun snorts at that. 

“So a typical night for you two.” 

Before Jihoon can reply, what Wonwoo can only describe as a blond whirlwind rushes out from the back of the restaurant and collides into Jihoon. Jihoon stands firm and when the dust settles the blond boy is now attached to his arm. 

“Hi guys!” the newcomer says. 

“Hey Soonyoung-ah.” 

“Hey Soonyoung-hyung.” 

Soonyoung’s ever moving body and bright colors stand in stark contrast to Jihoon’s dark leather jacket and reserved demeanor. Before Wonwoo can make any more observations, Soonyoung whisks Jihoon out the door. The whole table is silent for a moment before Jun clears his throat.

“Now, back to the sweet potatoes.”

Their plates are cleared far too soon and Wonwoo frowns as he looks at the time. 

“It’s not even that late,” he mutters, mostly to himself. Apparently he is loud enough for the rest of the table to hear because Jun suddenly turns towards him. 

“Do you guys maybe want to drive somewhere?” 

Mingyu nods enthusiastically and Minghao shrugs, “I’m down.” 

Jun gestures towards Wonwoo questioningly and he hums thoughtfully. 

“There is a place just outside of town that’s great for stargazing, or just hanging out.” 

“Perfect!” Jun says, standing up and sweeping one hand out towards the entrance of the restaurant. 

“Lead the way my good man.” 

“Gladly.” 

They all pile into their respective vehicles and Wonwoo leads Jun along a series of winding side streets towards the edge of town. They eventually reach their destination, a low hill facing the countryside, a single tree sprouting from its peak. Mingyu jumps out of Wonwoo’s car as soon as Jun pulls up next to them and darts over to his driver’s side door. Minghao is half hanging out of the passenger side of the car by the time Wonwoo makes it over to his side and Minghao looks back to give Mingyu and Jun an unimpressed look. Wonwoo can’t quite make out what they are saying, but their body language and the lack of space between them speaks for itself. 

Wonwoo jerks his thumbs over in the direction of his car. 

“C’mon, we can stargaze without them.” 

Minghao hops down and pushes the car door shut behind himself, dutifully following after Wonwoo. Wonwoo pops open the trunk and digs around for a moment before emerging with a small blanket folded and tucked under one arm. He silently turns and starts to head up the hill, hearing the soft rustle of Minghao’s footsteps following behind him. 

He reaches the peak of the hill and takes a few more steps forward, rolling out the blanket where the hill starts to slope downwards again. He lays down on his back, resting the back of his head on his hands and staring up at the stars shining brightly overhead. Out of the corner of his eye Wonwoo sees Minghao hesitantly sit down on the edge of the blanket, leaning back on one arm and tilting his head back. 

“Wow…” Minghao says in a hushed whisper and Wonwoo hums in agreement. Now that they’ve put a little distance between themselves and the town behind them, hundreds of thousands of stars are visible in the sky above. Wonwoo finds it incredibly calming to stare upwards, picking out the few constellations he knows among the multitudes or just existing with his thoughts. Minghao seems equally as contemplative next to him, the sounds of the wind rustling the grass and the soft chirping of crickets filling the night air. 

Growing a little tired in his current position Wonwoo sits up, resting his head and arms on his knees where they now sit tucked close to his chest. He’s startled by a slight movement next to him and realizes that Minghao had moved closer to him at some point, only a few inches of space now left between them. Silence is precious, but so is good company Wonwoo often finds. 

“This is nice.” he says simply. He sees Minghao turn towards him out of the corner of his eye. 

“Yeah,” Minghao replies, gesturing behind them with one hand. 

“Too bad they are too busy doing unspeakable things in the backseat of Jun-hyung’s car to appreciate the view.” 

Wonwoo shrugs, “It’s their loss. Besides, they’d probably talk too much or get bored. Mingyu-yah isn’t the type to sit still for long and I have a feeling Jun-ssi is the same way.” 

Minghao laughs, “Yep, they’re a match made in heaven.” 

“And we’re a couple of lonely old souls third-wheeling together.” 

Minghao scrunches up his face in distaste. 

“You make it sound so _sad_.” 

“Well what is it then?” 

Minghao lowers his gaze to his lap and his voice drops to a low whisper. 

“I think it’s kind of… romantic.” 

“Oh?” 

“I mean, just being out under the stars and the quiet and the moonlight! And you know--” 

“Relax Minghao-yah,” Wonwoo says with a grin. 

“I get what you mean.” 

It’s hard to tell in the darkness, but there might be a little color dusting Minghao’s cheeks as he looks back up Wonwoo. He wonders how Minghao would look in the daylight right now. Would his ears be red? His whole face? Or would it just be a light dusting of color across his cheekbones? He knows he has been staring at Minghao for far too long now, but Wonwoo doesn’t think it really matters because Minghao has been staring back at him for just as long. 

He wonders if it’s quiet enough for Minghao to hear his rapidly increasing heartbeat. Maybe it is, because Minghao turns his body a little more towards Wonwoo, all of a sudden leaning forward and closing the short distance between them. Wonwoo closes his eyes as he feels Minghao’s lips press against his own for the briefest of seconds. Then Minghao pulls away, eyes wide with panic. 

“I… I didn’t mean to do that.” 

Minghao’s voice comes out shaky and Wonwoo tilts his head to the side. 

“No?” he says with a frown. 

“Should we just pretend like that never happened... or if I kiss you back will it change your mind?” 

Minghao tenses at that.

“Maybe,” he breathes out quietly. Wonwoo inches closer, slowly watching for any signs of rejection. Their lips meet again and this time Minghao stays, gently pushing back against Wonwoo. Minghao sighs softly and Wonwoo takes the opportunity to gently cup Minghao’s jaw with one hand, tilting the younger boy’s head back and deepening the kiss. Minghao must end up leaning back too much because he suddenly falls backwards, catching himself on his hands with his legs folded under him. 

He lets out a shocked giggle as Wonwoo looks down at him in surprise. Minghao sits up after his giggles fade and crosses his legs in front of him. Wonwoo smiles in amusement and crawls into Minghao’s lap. Minghao grunts softly in surprise, all too enthusiastically kissing Wonwoo again and gently threading one hand through the hair at the back of Wonwoo’s head. Maybe it’s the warm summer night air or the way Minghao gently takes his lower lip between his teeth and _tugs_ , but he feels warmth start to pool low in his stomach. 

Prompted by the fire raging under his skin Wonwoo pulls back and lowers his head so he can mouth against Minghao’s neck. The younger boy’s breath hitches and the hand at the back of Wonwoo’s head tightens. After only a moment though Wonwoo feels Minghao let go of him and his hands come up to gently push Wonwoo away. 

“Oh, no marks?” Wonwoo says. Minghao suddenly looks unsure and closed off and it confuses Wonwoo. 

“No I just-- we can’t. I don’t do this.” 

The pleasant warmth in Wonwoo’s stomach is replaced by unease. He blinks rapidly in confusion as Minghao gestures between them. 

“Do what, kiss boys? People in general?” 

Maybe his tone is a little harsher than he meant it to be, but sue him, he’s upset at the sting of rejection after things were seemingly going so well just a minute ago. 

“No,” Minghao snaps back defensively. 

“I’m just not that easy.” 

Wonwoo slides off of his lap and stares at Minghao in shock. 

“When did I say I thought you were easy? I’m just out here to have a good time.” 

“I think it was kind of obvious,” says Minghao. The younger boy stands to his feet and dusts himself off angrily. 

“Whatever, I’m going.” 

He turns around and walks down the hill, not even sparing Wonwoo a parting glance. 

Wonwoo sits alone on the top of the hill and silently wonders where it all went wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello wonhao shippers, I hope you all enjoy this gift~  
> Unbetaed though so I apologize for any mistakes  
> Rip me trying to write the rest of this fic
> 
> find me on [twt](https://twitter.com/nightsofsilver)


End file.
